Surviving as a Trash Bard in a Game

It seems that Skyler, Propertius, and Nisha have finally finished their conversation.

The door of the church, against which I had been leaning my back, suddenly opened, and I fell backward. In a daze, I found myself burying my face under Nisha's nun clothes.

Naturally, I saw nothing. It was dark.

In the past, I would have definitely exclaimed, "I'm lucky," in this situation. But for some reason, I felt nothing.

Only the embarrassment of having fallen in front of others remained.

"Are you done?"

"Yes."

"Then let's go. I'm starting to feel stiff."

"You look like you're in your 20s, but those words don't resonate at all."

"Do you have to be so argumentative about everything?"

"It's my personality."

"You don't have any friends, do you?!"

"..."

It seems I hit the nail on the head.

I feel a little bad.

Leaving Skyler, who had suddenly become quiet at my words, I properly fastened my bag to my waist.

As I was about to leave the church's main entrance and go outside the fence, someone passed by me faster than my pace and blocked my way. I immediately knew who it was. I recognized the face.

'No, before that, his body is so big.'

Propertius, with an unreadable, subtle expression, looked at me, blocking my way without moving.

When I took a step to the side, he immediately took a step to the side, blocking me again. When I moved in the opposite direction, he moved like a mirror image.

"...?"

I looked up at his face.

Honestly, I wanted to ask what he was doing right now, but his physique and body were twice my size, and I didn't have the courage to question him.

Being fearful meant having many restrictions on actions. It's frustrating, but there's nothing I can do. My body refuses.

"Your face is full of questions."

"Because you're blocking my way."

"Do you use honorifics and informal speech selectively depending on the person?"

"...Suddenly?"

Nisha was strong. Even Skyler could probably beat me with strength. My strength and physical condition are that weak.

However, they were a woman about my height and a child even shorter than me.

It meant that dealing with a much larger person was bound to be difficult.

It might sound like an excuse, but Nisha had told me to be friendly and use informal speech, and I used informal speech with Skyler simply because he was younger than me. That's all.

'No, if I really think about it, he might be older than me...?'

I thought that the holders of divine bodies didn't age. Does that still apply after losing the divine body? No, it can't be. Skyler must be young, right?

Have I been using informal speech to someone much older than me all this time? That's way out of line.

Is he saying that using informal speech to someone younger than you on the first meeting is not rude? No, that's also true. Should I start using honorifics now?

No, is that important now?

"Why are you blocking me?"

"Well."

I glanced back. Skyler was just looking at me.

He doesn't take any action. He's just watching. I can't even tell if his eyes are looking at me or Propertius.

Next to Skyler, Nisha was acting friendly, with an innocent smile, just standing there.

That scene made me angry without me realizing it.

It was a feeling I couldn't define exactly, but I defined it as annoyance. Because it was a sensation close to annoyance.

Am I angry at this situation?

"Are you doing this because you don't want to part ways?"

"Of course not."

"Then why...?"

"Would you like to spar with me?"

It was a sudden proposal. And the outcome was obvious.

I would lose.

There's no doubt if I spar with this weak body.

Moreover, it was morning now.

'...My clumsiness and narcolepsy always seem to activate at the right time.'

Yes. The penalties I chose always worked against me. To the point where I suspected that the status window was intentionally trying to kill me.

"If I don't accept, you won't move?"

"Yes."

"...Isn't it a bit childish for a grown adult to want to spar like this?"

"Well, honestly, watching you spar with Nisha brought back some old memories."

He seemed to say it as an excuse, but it was still something I couldn't understand. It's an unacceptable reason.

However, if asked what a more plausible reason than that would be, I couldn't answer the question with the information given to me now.

In the end, the choice was up to the person stronger than me, and the person stronger than me in this place was Propertius.

Skyler and Nisha didn't seem to have any intention of stopping it, and Nisha was looking at us with an excited look, as if it would be fun.

Still sticking next to Skyler.

...I got a little angrier.

I didn't know this about myself, but apparently, I don't like it when my plans are disrupted or delayed by someone else.

Since I can see magic, do I also have the talent of a magician... I mean, do I have that twisted personality peculiar to magicians? I hope not.

But, to explain this surging annoyance, I have no choice but to make such an excuse.

In the end, it was unavoidable.

'...I guess I have to spar.'

Since I've sparred with Nisha several times, I should be able to last a few minutes.

Nisha said that I have good eyes, so I could last a few minutes even against an adventurer a level higher than me.

There's no way the owner of this isolated church in the northern region has a higher skill than a gold-tagged adventurer. Maybe I can even win.

He doesn't have a weapon, and I have a dagger.

'Or, should I test the lute now.'

This might be a good opportunity for me too. Until now, the only time I've properly cast buffs or debuffs was when I was alone in the inn.

However, there's one problem... can I play while running away?

I have to.

Even if I can't, I have to.

"How long do I have to wait?"

"Yes. You ignored my opinion and forced a sparring match. Can't you wait a little longer?"

"...Alright."

Propertius looked slightly displeased, but he seemed to accept my proposal for now.

And so, I started to prepare.

A way to defeat an opponent you can't beat.

Fight completely dirty.

I created a lot of distance. Far enough that it would take an adult man 5 to 8 seconds to reach me even if he sprinted with all his might.

Then I took out the lute. I place my fingers on the strings.

How did I play it? The sensation remembers. The body remembers. The mind screams that it doesn't know at all! But I can't stop here.

"May I start?"

"...Yes."

Propertius reached out his hand.

It wasn't a figurative expression. Countless hands appeared from under his feet. And he started to move.

He takes a step closer.

The distance is still far. I can handle it.

I plucked the string of the lute with my fingertip. Fortunately, instead of a hideous dissonance, a beautiful sound is heard. I immediately move my finger to the next string.

Don't think...

Don't even question how I'm playing this song right now.

Just leave it to the body and just play.

The surrounding sounds disappear, and the scenery turns into a blank canvas. Only me, the lute, and the grotesque priest rushing towards me remain in the world.

Sweat flowed. I started to get nervous.

My body was preparing to flee on its own, and my brain screamed that it wanted to run away right now.

Unfortunately, I didn't have the courage. I was just so scared that my body stiffened, and my fingers continued to play on their own.

My eyes fixed on that damn priest.

'Where?!'

The priest disappeared from my sight.

It was a bizarre sight with countless hands attached to its body, a sight I couldn't take my eyes off even if I tried. How could I have missed that giant? It doesn't make sense.

And the song ends.

Fine

A hastily made melody that ended in just one phrase.

But it's effective.

Unlike a moment ago, there was vitality in my body. The sensation I felt was not an illusion. I... chose the buff & debuff totem job.

Unfortunately, the hope I felt disappeared immediately.

Because a palm appeared in front of my eyes.

'But... I can see it.'

Compared to the speed of the sparring sessions with Nisha, where she was holding back, it's noticeably slower. No, everything in the world has slowed down. The wind blowing, my body moving, the grass in the field lying down and getting up!

It was an incomprehensible phenomenon, but for now, my playing must have given me some kind of physical enhancement?!

Let's avoid the attack first. Let's think after avoiding it.

No matter how I think about it, it wasn't a sparring-level attack, it was an attack with the intention to genuinely hit me. It'll probably hurt if I don't avoid it.

-

'You felt an intuition that 'you must not avoid this attack.'

You realized that the attack contained a clear killing intent and tried to avoid it, but you are certain that something bad will happen if you avoid the attack.

You give up on avoiding it and pretend to have failed to react.

-

My body forcibly stops.

'...What?'

After the narration ended, the palm stopped in front of me.